Cherimoya— the Weird & Wonderful

Are you a conspiracy theorist? If so, allow me to break it to you gently—Cherimoya, though it might look like one, is not a reptilian egg that might grow up to be a human-hybrid and preside over our government or take over the next Amazon. Oh no, no, no… Cherimoya does look a bit like a scaly lizard egg on the outside, but on the inside, when it is ripe, the fruit is several scoops of silky heaven.

Cherimoya (Annona cherimola) belongs in the Annonaceaefamily which includes soursop (A. muricata), custard apple (A. reticulata), and sugar apple (A. squamosa). Believed to be native to South America, Cherimoya was cultivated in the Andes and throughout Central America where it came to be called “pearl of the Andes.” As I mentioned, Cherimoya on the outside, looks more like a raw emerald, but inside, it is smooth as a pearl.  

To be honest, I had very little experience with Cherimoya. I grew up eating the sugar apple variety, which is heavenly in its own way, but gritty like eating custard with sugary, sand crystals. As I nibbled away at this beautiful stranger on our several first dates, I fell in love with it the same way I fell in love with persimmon this year.   

Cherimoya flesh is a sweet, smooth custard—like a firm flan. The flavor to me is like a of mix vanilla, sugar cane, persimmon, and bubble gum in the best way possible. Let this dessert fruit ripen to its full potential. As it ripens, its skin turns brownish green in color. Give it a soft, little squeeze, if there’s no give, it’s most likely still unripe. Let it sit on your kitchen counter, refraining from squeeze-checking too often (if you squeeze it enough, it will feel ripe from the bruising!). You’ll know when it’s ripe when it is soft like a ripe mango. Once it’s ripe, you may keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days—a risk you could take but may not want to live with.

I love ripe Cherimoya chilled, halved, and scooped with a spoon. You may also puree its flesh and use as a dessert sauce. It also pairs well with other tropical fruits like papaya, mango, and dragon fruit in a salad or smoothie. Try Cherimoya in a sorbet, like this Cherimoya-Lime Sorbet recipe from Fine Cooking or as a pudding like in this Raw Custard Pudding recipe from Unconventional Baker.

You’ll love Cherimoya, but don’t eat the skin or the seeds. Like other members of the Annonaceae family (like soursop), the Cherimoya plant contains small amounts of neurotoxins.